Secondary education
is divided into lower secondary school, which lasts for four years,
and upper secondary school, which lasts for four or five years.
At lower secondary level, there are three options: Volkschule (rare),
Hauptschule (general secondary) and Allgemeinbildende höhere Schulen
(academic secondary) divided into Gymnasium (general), Realgymnasium
(Science-based) and Wirtschaftskundlisches Realgymnasium (Home Economics).
Upper secondary education lasts for four or five years. There are
four types of Allgemeinbildende höhere Schulen: Gymnasium, Realgymnasium,
Wirtschaftskundliches Realgymnasium and Oberstufen-Realgymnasium.
Vocational secondary education lasts five years. All streams lead
to the Reifeprüfung/Matura, which gives access to higher education.
In 1997, the Berufsreifeprüfung (Vocational Certificate) was introduced.
It gives access to university and Fachhochschule programmes. Apprentices
will be able to sit for an examination giving access to higher education.
A law to this effect has been approved by the National Council.
The new Secondary Technical and Vocational Certificate is designed
for apprentices who successfully sit for their final apprenticeship
examination and for those completing vocational colleges, including
Nursing Colleges and Technical Medical Colleges.
Student Exchange Program Austria